The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-06-21
THE OLD TOBACCO KING.
Some Facts About Old John An
ders0n, Whose Will Has
Set Aside.

New York, June 13.-Old John SOlace
Tobacco Andeison's money and career
are before the courts again. He was a
funny fellow, who, besides enjoying the
glamour of tremendous fortune, lived
nearly fifty years with the shadow OF the
Mary Rogers murder hanging over him.
Taken aitog .ther the homestead at Tar
rytown was a menagerie. The splendid
house was never finished, and he lived in a
suit of apartments for years that looked as
# he had Just moved in and wousdnt be ret
lied in a week. He had an idea that every
relation waited iInpatiently for his death,
and that several of them would help him
10 it if they only had the opportunity.
Alter he had got to be a very rich man,
which must have been thirty years ago,
he visited habitually queer sort OF place
q; Prince street and Broadway, kept by a
little cansumptive man named jimmy
Common, who had been an Irish comedian
in small towns with the plays which
barney Williams and Billy Flor
ence presented in New York. Failing in
health, he established the first dram tic
agency besides Parsoe's) that We had in
many years. The concern was. as the
actors termed it, ''quisby fake" One
large room was hung with circus and
theatrical posters. A cheap desk, a doz-n
benches, and a few spittoons furnished
that room. In the one beyond, a cooking
Stove, bed, a round table and an Old hair
sofa proclaimed il to be a combination
kitchen. dining-room, bedroom and parlor.
Here dwelt the agents wife and sickly
little boy. One day the clipper little Mrs.
Common, who had been a soubrette in several
travelling companies and was one of the
most chirpy of lrishwomen, went down TO
zee Anderson on a business errand, and
from tn At day forward an acquaintance
sprang up. Connor died of his consump-
lion, a1d Anderson was chief friend and
adviser. Mrs. Common dropped out OF
sight and it was years before she come to
The surface. A correspondent says of him:
81 was visiting in Tarrytown, and at my
friends home l heard such a lot of funny
things about the Anderson household that
] felt curious to see the family. One day
a small woman in glaring colors came trip
ping up the carriage way, and in Mrs. An
derson, behold, there was found the long
lost Mrs. Common, mistress CT the unfinished
castle, sort OF ministering angel TO the old
man, who had more cranks than hand
organ. / asked after the agents son. He
was sculptor in Italy. In due time Mrs.
Kate Common Anderson was widow. She
came to New York, and had fine time.
She is now in Europe"
One of Anderson's daughters married the
celebrated Tweed ring judge, George Barn
ard. He was a sallow, satanic man, full of
dyspepsia and misery, and Anderson and
he had many a fight. One evening the
Judge took two ladies to his house in
Twenty-second street to show them
his really wonderful collection of precious
stones. Barnard had been a widower some
time, but Anderson used to drop In to see
his grandchildren. He turned up that
evening and the ladies withdrew TO the
parlor as he entered the library, in which
the Jewels were spread out. Harkly had
two sentences passed between them when
old Anderson said: "To the devil with
these gewgaws," seized a handful of unset
stones and threw them throug Oh the open
window upon grass plot. Barnard though
sick with the disease from which he after
ward died, grabbed the old fellow and jam
med him up against wall, frightening
the ladies half to death, as they were
sure this was going to be murder. Then
the servants got him to enter his carriage,
after which hunt for precious stones be-
gan in the yard. Candles and lamps were
Qqickly planted and the search was thor
ough. 1t was followed up next day, but
one emerald, a very fine one was never
recovered.